Nicola Sturgeon has slammed Douglas Ross for his defence of Boris Johnson and asked how the Scottish Conservatives leader "can look himself in the mirror".
The First Minister took aim at the Tory MP after he used the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a reason why the Prime Minister should not resign.
Johnson has become the first occupant of 10 Downing Street in history to break the law after he was found to have breached lockdown rules in 2020.
The PM has faced calls to resign from across the political spectrum - but not from the leader of the Tories in Scotland.
Ross had earlier told the Record : "President Zelelnsy said at the weekend that Boris Johnson and the UK Government response has been one of the strongest anywhere in the Western world.
"If President Zelensky, who is fighting these Russians troops in Ukraine right now, appreciates the support of the Prime Minister, I think it is important that we get behind that."
But that defence of Johnson was tonight dismissed by the SNP leader.
"Perhaps the lowest of the low, the use of the horror and suffering of people in Ukraine as a reason why Boris Johnson should stay in office," Sturgeon told Bauer Radio.
“Douglas Ross has in some ways been leading that particular line.
“How he can look himself in the mirror in doing so, let alone look anyone in Scotland in the eye, is beyond me.
“At a time of real, serious issues for the UK to confront, surely it’s all the more important that the incumbent in Number 10 is a Prime Minister who can lead with moral authority?”
It comes as all political parties step up their campaigning ahead of next month's elections, which will return councillors to 32 local authorities across the country.
Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour's depute leader, also took aim at the Scottish Conservatives for defending Johnson.
She said: "With party grandees such as Ruth Davidson and serving MSPs such as Brian Whittle now calling for the Prime Minister to go, it is clear that Douglas Ross has got it wrong and has lost control of his party.
"No right-thinking person who is concerned with the rule of law and the state of the Union can now stand with this Prime Minister and his fair-weather friend Douglas Ross."
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